Spike.



PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906. J. B. PITTMAN.

SPIKE.

APPLICATION nun FEB. 1. 1906.

JAMES E. PITTMAN, OF GOLDHILL, COLORADO.

SPIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

Application filed February 1, 1905. Serial No. 243,676.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. PITTMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Goldhill, in the county of Boulder, State of Oolorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spikes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to spikes such as are employed for holding railway-rails to their ties, the object of the invention being to provide a spike whichby reason of its peculiar shape will hold securely in the tie and may be readily driven in place.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spike embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the spike. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the spike looking in the direction of the head. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 1 looking downwardly, the relative positions of the barbs being indicated in dotted lines.

Referring now to the drawings, the present spike comprises a stem the upper portion of which has four flat vertical faces of which the side faces 5 and 6 converge in the direction of the front face 7, which fits against the flange of the rail, the outer or rearface 8 being therefore of greater width than the face 7. A head 9 is provided, which projects slightly over the side faces 5 and 6 and includes a lip 10, that projects over the face 7 in position to engage over the flange of a rail. Below the crosssectionally angular upper portion of the stem said stem is rounded and tapered downwardly for a short distance to the cross-sectionally rectangular portion 11, which is of greater diameter than the lower end of the rounded portion 12 just referred to, so that there is formed a continuous and abrupt shoulder. Below the portion 11 the stem is cross-sectionally triangular and is tapered downwardly, and the lower end thereof is beveled on one face, as shown at 14, to form a cutting edge or point 15. The edges of the cross-sectionally triangular portion of the stern are provided with upwardly-directed barbs 164 In the use of the spike described it will be understood that as it passes into the wood the fiber of the latter closes over the barbs and over the shoulder 13 and serves to hold the spike securely against withdrawal.

What is claimed is A spike comprising a head and a stem, the stern directly adjacent to the head being crosssectionally angular with its side faces con verging in the direction of the rail-engaging portion of the head, said spike-stem below said angular portion being tapered downwardly and rounded and having a cross-sectionally rectangular portion at the lower end of the rounded portion and of greater diameter than the rounded portion, the stem below the rectangular portion being cross-sectionally triangular and having upwardly-directed barbs at its edges.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES E. PITTMAN. Witnesses B. F. PRICE, 0. H. Wrsn. 

